Protecting Yourself From Lock Bumping

Lock bumping is all over the Internet and on many local news stations, showing everyone how easy it is to bypass certain types of locks. These videos and reports are causing great concern for everyone from stay-at-home moms to business owners. Every day more and more people are becoming aware of this lock picking bypass method.

Customers and friends continue to ask me more and more frequently “is it really that easy to bypass a lock? If it is that easy, should I be concerned and what can I do about it?”

I explain to them that lock bumping has been around for years. This technique was primarily known to people in the security industry and the information was not commonly shared. Criminals or would-be thieves weren’t really aware of this method for breaking into houses or businesses. However, as this technique becomes common knowledge, each individual faces the importance of increasing their security and staying one step ahead of the potential problem.

I have two major concerns regarding lock bumping. First, this technique for bypassing lock systems is becoming common knowledge, which allows a greater probability for the wrong people to use this information. The second concern is that with this method, it is more difficult to discover signs of forced entry into a home. This becomes an insurance issue. Are you covered for burglary or theft if there are no signs of forced entry? This is a vital question, and one most people have not asked, especially before a break in.

One of the most effective ways to protect against lock bumping is to install a high security cylinder lock that is bump proof. BiLock has a high security cylinder with a patented key and locking mechanism. This lock system is one of the most secure locks in the world. Most standard locks have five or six pins which are made up of top and bottom pins, allowing the bump key to bypass it. The Bilock cylinder has 12 bottom pins with no top pins and dual sidebars along with a trigger mechanism within the key, making this lock system virtually pick proof.

Installing a deadbolt with a BiLock cylinder will provide you with great security. A valuable feature is that there is no unauthorized key duplication. All the keys you receive with the locks are numbered. When you hand out a key to someone, you simply make a record of the key number and when it is returned to you, feel confident that no one has made a copy of the key for your house or business. This is extremely important when handing out keys to contractors or house sitters; you do not have to worry about changing the locks as long as you know that you have all of the keys back in your possession.

You might question whether it would be enough to have a BiLock cylinder in the door knob lock. It would give you more key control and security against lock bumping, but the door knob lock does not provide as much security as a deadbolt lock. For the best security, I recommend a deadbolt with a BiLock cylinder. It would also be a good idea to replace your locking door knob with a passage door knob. A passage door knob has no locking function, it simply latches the door like a bedroom or closet door. When you have installed your passage knob, you will be using the deadbolt to lock your door. You will need to have your key to lock the door, so you won’t be able to accidentally lock yourself out of your home.

A very important thing to remember when securing your house is that criminals commonly pick the easiest target. If you make your home tougher to access than your neighbors, chances are they’ll skip your house. After installing your new BiLock cylinders, you and your loved ones will sleep better knowing that somebody can’t break into your house as easily as they show on the Internet and TV.